Note: This is a fictional, first-person review written for illustration.
The quick take
Short version? I had a clean site built fast, and it brought in more sales. The team was kind and steady. Not perfect, but solid. I’d use them again for a brand site or a small shop.
If you’d like to compare this write-up with the slightly longer version I shared elsewhere, you can find it at Sila Web Design LLC: My First-Person Take on the 2Experts Design blog.
What I asked for
I “run” a tiny plant shop with a blog and a small online store. The old site was slow, clunky, and hard to edit. I needed:
- A fresh brand look that still felt cozy.
- A better store flow on Shopify.
- Faster pages on mobile.
- Clear how-to videos so I could add products myself.
Simple asks, right? Well, sort of.
How the process went
We started with a 30-minute call. Then they sent a short form—goals, colors I liked, three sites I loved, three I didn’t. I sent them a messy folder of photos and copy. I was a little embarrassed. They didn’t flinch.
(If you’re curious how Sila stacks up against several other studios I tried earlier, I documented that experiment in I hired three Portland web design teams—here’s what actually happened.)
Week 1: They shared a mood board and a rough sitemap. Fonts felt friendly. Colors leaned soft green and cream. They used Figma for the draft screens. I could leave little notes, which felt neat and very human.
Week 2–3: They built wireframes, then full screens. Header. Home. Shop. Product. About. Contact. The product page had big photos, clear price, and a simple “add to cart.” No fuss.
Week 4–6: Build time. I picked Shopify. They had pushed Webflow at first, but we stuck with the store. They set up the theme, added collections, and made simple filters. We had weekly check-ins on Zoom. They also sent Loom videos so I could watch changes at night with tea. Nice touch.
What worked well
- Speed jumped. My mobile score went from 47 to 92 on Google PageSpeed Insights. You could feel it.
- The store flow was clean. Fewer clicks, clearer steps.
- Alt text on images and better contrast. The site was easier to read.
- They gave me a simple style guide: colors, fonts, button sizes. I still use it when I make new pages.
- They made a Notion page with short how-to guides. Add a product. Swap a banner. Change a menu.
You know what? The small things helped the most. A sticky cart button. A gentle hover state on the shop grid. It felt alive, but not noisy.
What bugged me
Not a lot, but a few things:
- Scope was tight. I asked for an extra homepage section in the last week. That counted as an extra round. It cost more. I get it, but it stung.
- Time zones. They’re mountain time. I’m on the west coast. A couple replies rolled in late for me.
- They really liked Webflow. I needed Shopify. We lost a day sorting that. After that, smooth.
- Copy help was light. They gave notes, but no deep edits. If you need strong copy, hire a writer too.
Was any of that a deal breaker? No. Just plan for it.
Real results I “saw”
We launched two weeks before the holiday rush:
- Conversion rate: 1.3% to 2.1% over six weeks.
- Bounce rate: down 18%.
- Average order value: up about $6. Not huge, but it adds up.
- Email signups: almost doubled. The footer form was hard to miss, but not loud.
- Black Friday held up. No crash. They set caching with Cloudflare and kept images small.
They also added simple schema for products, set a clear cookie banner, and moved me to GA4. I didn’t ask for all that, but I was glad they did it.
One side experiment: I’ve been eyeing chat-based micro-communities to keep the momentum going. For shop owners who want to dip a toe into Kik as a marketing or customer-service touchpoint, this guide on finding and using Kik groups explains the basics, account safety, and how to locate active rooms—handy if you’re weighing whether a fast, mobile-only channel could complement your email list.
Another angle I’m exploring is niche review directories that already pull in warm, location-specific traffic. Wellness studios near Miami told me they see a surprising uptick in bookings after appearing on massage-focused forums; to see what that kind of listing looks like in action, check out this detailed walk-through of the Coral Springs section on Rubmaps. Browsing the page shows you the profile format, customer expectations, and photo styles that tend to convert—useful intel if you’re deciding whether a hyper-local directory could sit alongside your broader SEO game plan.
Money talk
My package:
- Design + build: $6,200 (homepage + 5 key pages + shop setup)
- Add-ons: $350 for that extra section I pushed late
- Care plan: $120/month (backups, updates, 30 mins of fixes)
Could you spend less? Sure. But I didn’t feel overcharged.
Who should hire them
- Small shops and service folks who want a clean site that loads fast.
- Teams that like weekly check-ins and clear tasks.
- People who want gentle design, not wild motion.
Who might not?
- Big custom apps. This is not a heavy dev studio.
- Ultra tight budgets. There are cheaper paths, but you’ll trade time or polish.
If you’re still gathering options, you might also skim the portfolio at 2Experts Design to see how another small-studio approach compares. And for an international perspective, check out this hands-on review of finding a web design agency in Melbourne to see how location can shape process.
Tips to get the most value
- Pick your platform early. Shopify vs. Webflow vs. WordPress—decide.
- Bring your photos and copy in week 1. It saves time and money.
- Keep feedback short and clear. Two rounds. That’s it.
- Ask for a style guide and a 60-minute training call.
- Set one main goal. Mine was “more checkouts.” It shaped every choice.
Support after launch
They sent me three short Looms: how to add a product, how to change the nav, how to swap a banner. We did a one-hour handoff. They answered two small tickets the same week. Fast. Calm. No drama.
Final verdict
Do I “hire” them again? Yes—for brand sites, shops, and clean builds. Not for huge custom logic. My score: 4.5 out of 5. Warm design. Clear process. Real gains.
Honestly, that’s all I wanted.
—
Note: This is a fictional, first-person review written for illustration.